49ers center Goodwin leads by example

It requires a measure of intelligence and composure to play center in the NFL, and Jonathan Goodwin fits the profile. He’s sharp, meticulous and, by all accounts, keeps his wits about him amid the customary mayhem on the line of scrimmage.

That’s not to suggest the leader of the 49ers‘ offensive line doesn’t occasionally raise his voice. His job stretches beyond snapping the ball to Alex Smith and blocking the behemoth across from him. Goodwin also must ensure his fellow offensive linemen know their assignments and work in concert.

So he occasionally strays out of character in dealing with right guard Alex Boone.

“Boone will tell you I yell at him all the time,” Goodwin said, smiling, “but that’s just to keep him on the right track.”

As it turns out, Boone – as loud and gregarious as Goodwin is soft-spoken – can be high-maintenance at times. Right there in the middle of games, as the 49ers try to move downfield, Boone frets about falling into Goodwin’s doghouse.

“Jon’s the most mild-mannered guy in the world, but sometimes I get him all riled up,” Boone said. “Sometimes he does yell at me, and the next five plays I’m always in his back pocket, asking him, ‘Hey, you mad at me?’ And he says, ‘No, I’m not mad. Leave me alone.’

“And I’m thinking, ‘Oh God, he’s really mad at me.’ Then we get to the sideline, I ask him again and he assures me he’s not mad. And I’m like, ‘Whew!’ ”

It’s probably a good idea for Boone to avoid angering the man coach Jim Harbaugh once described as “a block of granite.” That’s high praise for a center, whose reliability and sturdiness are essential for an offense to function at a high level.

Just think about the job. Quickly identify the defensive front and pass the word to your fellow linemen. Then call out blocking adjustments, make a clean snap – the center controls the ball on every play, for a fleeting moment – and quickly rise into position to swat away a menacing defensive tackle.

Only the quarterback has more on his plate.

“He’s in charge,” Boone said of Goodwin.

Not always a center

Goodwin, who turns 34 next month, did not play center in high school or college. He played guard and offensive tackle in high school, then briefly moved to center during spring practice of his third year at Michigan. Even then, he soon returned to guard.

He was a reserve with the Jets and Saints early in his NFL career, seldom finding his way onto the field. He mostly struggled at guard in New York, so the Jets ultimately put him behind eight-time Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae.

Before the switch, Goodwin figured the position wasn’t much different or especially difficult. He soon realized he was wrong, but he also came to recognize the job suited him better.

“I’m grateful for the switch – I think it improved my game a lot in terms of hand speed and things like that,” Goodwin said. “If you play center, you have to be able to get your hands on guys quick or you’re in trouble. …

“You’re in the middle of the offensive line, so you have to make sure both sides of the line are on the same page. You’re the guy who has to communicate well and be on top of everything.”

The job suited him, in part because he’s quick and not particularly big for an offensive lineman. The 49ers list Goodwin at 6-foot-3 and 318 pounds, though he hasn’t tipped the scales at 318 in more than 10 years. He typically plays at about 305.

Still, the biggest difference between the duties of a center and other offensive linemen is his responsibility to make calls at the line of scrimmage. Goodwin barks out instructions on nearly every play – first calling out the defensive front, then following with code words to convey the blocking scheme.

And if the defense shifts into another formation before the snap, Goodwin reacts accordingly. He might not frantically point and gesture with Peyton Manning-like animation, but his teammates invariably get the message.

“There are times when we all see things one way and Jon sees something completely different,” Boone said. “He’s always on top of it. … It’s unbelievable how fast he can think and how quickly he can make adjustments at the line.”

Familiarity can be challenge

Every now and then, a center’s calls prompt knowing smirks from the opponent.

Defensive tackle Hollis Thomas was Goodwin’s teammate with New Orleans for three seasons (2006-08). Thomas landed at Carolina in ’09, leading to some amusing moments when the Saints met the Panthers.

Goodwin made his calls at the line of scrimmage – and Thomas sometimes laughed or stood up and shouted, “Pass!” He knew the Saints’ terminology, which helped him figure out what was coming next.

“I just laughed back at him,” Goodwin said. “They knew all our calls. But if you have good technique and play the game the right way, you can still block guys.”

As you probably can tell, Goodwin is mostly businesslike and straightforward. He doesn’t tell many funny stories, though he did strike a playful tone when reminded he controls the ball at the start of every play.

“It would be nice to somehow find a way to keep the ball and score,” he said. “I still haven’t found a way to pull it off within the rules.”

Even laboring in obscurity, Goodwin qualifies as an indispensable part of this 49ers team. He has started all 24 regular-season games of the Harbaugh era, since joining San Francisco in August 2011.

Goodwin must be doing something right: The 49ers are 19-5 during that stretch, and they lead the NFL in yards rushing per game this season, a good indication of an offensive line’s efficiency.

Or, for another sign of Goodwin’s value, consider Boone’s reaction when asked about sliding over to assume the center’s duties.

“I have no desire to ever play center,” he said. “I’m going to snap a ball, have a 350-pound guy come at me, one-hand him, make sure the quarterback gets the ball and look this way? No, I’ll let Jon take care of that.”